Morocco

It was awesome riding the ferry from Europe to Africa across the Straits of Gibraltar. Morocco is an over stimulating mixture of French, Arab, Berber, and Spanish cultures, and the litter and broken down buses remind me that I'm in Africa. People (including the women) are very friendly, though the men are too much... always calling out "ça va?" (how are you? in French) and sometimes trying to follow me.

Before ending in Marrakech, stops along the way included Chaouen (cute blue-painted town in the Rif Mountains) and Casablanca (hip, cosmopolitan city where I caught a Moroccan rap concert). I also laid back with the fun beach atmosphere in El Jadida and spent three days trekking in the High Atlas mountains, the high point of which was another 4,000+ meter peak.

Marrakech is wonderful and embodies what you would imagine about Morocco. The rust-colored medina (old town) is a maze of alleys filled with shops, craftsmen at work, and life in action. The main square turns into a circus as the sun sets, with food stalls, juice stands, and entertainers competing for the crowd's attention. Someone will take your picture with a snake, paint your hands with henna, or tell your fortune. Otherwise you can just stand back and watch the scene of dancers, musicians, or even a boxing match.

This afternoon I fly to Brussels, where I rejoin the Western world and make my way toward Switzerland.